5 facts that you should know about Dubai’s latest solar park

By now you all must have heard of the latest Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Panel that’s touted to be the largest single-site solar panel park in the world. It was launched in January 2012 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. Here are some facts that you should know about the new solar panel that will power the city of Dubai.

The 200MW second phase of the solar park is the first and the largest of its kind in the Middle East that’s based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The implementation is done in partnership with the consortium that’s led by ACWA Power from Saudi Arabia and Spain’s TSK. The investment is over AED 1.2 billion.

The new second phase is said to be capable of generating clean energy for 50,000 residences in Dubai. That’s quite a lot of homes that’s powered by a single solar park phase. Impressive!

It isn’t just the number of homes that will be benefitted. The clean energy produced by the second phase will help to reduce over 214,000 tons of carbon emissions every year. A great initiative by Dubai for a clean environment.

The second phase of the solar park is installed with over 2.3 million photovoltaic solar panels which a total area of 4.5km. A photovoltaic system uses PV cells that sunlight to energy. These cells are made of semiconductors. One of the great advantages is that these systems are completely scalable and can vary in size as per the residential or commercial needs. DEWA focuses on the grid type of PV system that’s used to directly connect to the existing electricity grid.

The second phase is a part of the 5000-megawatt target that’s planned to be completed by 2030. This total figure will be capable of powering up over 800,000The project is built to support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 initiative, that will position Dubai as the global hub for green economy and clean energy.